Final Cut Pro: Device Control

Final Cut Pro uses device control presets to determine how it
will control a device, such as a camcorder. Final Cut Pro has many
device control presets, so it is unlikely that you will have to create
your own. When you connect a device to your computer, you will be able
to choose from the device control presets offered by Final Cut Pro. In
some instances, you may want to control how your external device
and Final Cut Pro communicate, so you may need to customize the device
control settings. While it is rare, Final Cut Pro may not have a device
control preset that matches up with your device, so that is another
reason to customize the device control settings.

Name

You will need to enter a name for the device control preset you are
creating. Final Cut Pro will save the name you enter and the preset will
be on the list of available device control presets.

Protocol

For the protocol settings, you will enter the protocol that your
camcorder uses. Most digital video devices use FireWire, while most
professional equipment uses RS-422. If you are using FireWire, you will
need to pick either Apple FireWire or Apple FireWire Basic, depending on
which protocol your camcorder is compatible with.

Audio Mapping

You will need to know how many audio tracks are available on your
audio or video deck for audio mapping. The options that Final Cut Pro
gives you will depend on which protocol you selected. For FireWire
devices, you will be able to choose either two audio tracks at 16-bit
resolution or four tracks at 12-bit resolution. Final Cut Pro will not
detect audio track capabilities for RS-422 devices, so you will need to
enter this information manually.

Time Source

Depending on the format of your tape, you will need to select
which timecode track you want Final Cut Pro to read from. For Vertical
Interval TimeCode and Linear Timecode, you will have the option of
allowing Final Cut Pro to pick the time source for you.

Port

You will not need to enter a port if you have connected a digital
video camcorder, as FireWire is automatically used. For all other
equipment, you will need to let Final Cut Pro know which port you have
connected your device to. Your options will be your modem or USB port.

Frame Rate

You will need to enter the timecode frame rate that you
captured your film with. If you captured video in standard NTSC or PAL
modes, you will choose 29.97 frames per second for NTSC and 25 frames
per second for PAL. If you shot your film using 720p high definition,
your best bet will be 59.94 frames per second.

Capture Offset

You will only need to enter a value for the capture offset settings
if you are using a non-digital video device. When Final Cut Pro imports
video, the software will use the device control connection and video
input. Being that two unique methods are being used to import the video,
it is possible that there will be a timing difference between the
timecode value and video frame. You will need to figure out the frame
offset from the video and calibrate your timecode.